Court Asked to Curb North’s Disclosures
- Share via
WASHINGTON — In another roadblock to Oliver North’s Iran-Contra trial, the Justice Department today asked the judge to implement new safeguards to prevent North from making surprise disclosures of classified information.
North “has made no effort to assist the court in dealing responsibly with classified information,” the department said in a court filing.
Charging that North has provided “totally useless or at best minimally informative” notices of the documents he wants to disclose, the department urged U.S. District Judge Gerhard A. Gesell to institute greater protections to prevent unwarranted disclosures.
The request came as jury selection in the case drew near a close.
A department source said that if Gesell ruled against the government it would appeal. Such an appeal could delay the trial.
Independent counsel Lawrence E. Walsh, whose office is prosecuting North, opposed the filing.
Gesell scheduled an afternoon hearing to discuss the dispute.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Podcasts
John Orr was a renowned fire investigator who was also a prolific arsonist, and whose thinly veiled novel helped to convict him. In this episode we hear from the fire captain who first suspected him—and from Orr himself.
Madison McGhee is joined by legendary Dateline host Josh Mankiewicz and esteemed L.A. Times Reporter Richard Winton as the three of them dive into all-things Menendez Brothers, the good, the bad, and the still unknown.
NPR climate editor Sadie Babits talks about why the media has long overlooked the climate crisis, and how that’s starting to change.
